Title: Texas Rural Counties Struggle with Uneven Population Growth, Leading to Ghost Towns
GOMEZ — The railroad changed everything. Long before the open plains were filled with rows of crops, they were brimming with the hopes of prosperity from families who flocked to Gomez. It was the first settlement in Terry County, just southwest of Lubbock in the Texas South Plains. Businesses opened, a cotton gin ushered in agriculture production, and a vote was coming up to name a county seat. The founders, in 1904, boasted Gomez was the “metropolis of the plains.” Then it all vanished. Brownfield, about four miles east, became the county seat and got the prized South Plains and Santa Fe Railway. Cut off from the rest of the world, Gomez and all its promises died. All that is left of the town is a cemetery and a historical marker engraved with the town’s lost legacy.
Gomez is one of an estimated 511 ghost towns in Texas — completely deserted and abandoned places. Its short-lived existence offers a cautionary tale to a host of Texas towns that are today facing existential threats. These communities — such as Becton, Estacado, and Bartonsite — at one time were more than just a place to drive through on the way to bigger cities but are now another historical marker in the barren region’s landscape. History is repeating. Modern-day ghost towns are popping up around Texas, communities that still exist but have lost most of their population and are on the path toward vanishing if they lose any more.
Challenges in Rural Texas
Counties lose populations for two reasons: there are more deaths than births, and people moving away. Data from the Texas Demographic Center shows 75 counties lost population from 2022 to 2023. This includes 27 counties in the High Plains that lost population because residents moved elsewhere, the most seen in any region of Texas. For example, Muleshoe, Littlefield, Plainview, and Floydada — the county seats for four counties surrounding Lubbock — collectively lost 400 residents during this time. On the opposite side of the state, dozens of rural and suburban counties in Central and East Texas grew during the same time, driven by people moving in looking for land near well-established metro areas such as Dallas and Fort Worth.
Struggles of Rural Communities
The High Plains and West Texas regions are home to billion-dollar industries with agriculture and energy production — lawmakers have long boasted it’s where the nation gets its food, fuel, and fiber. However, the illustrious industries are held together by people living in rural Texas, who are now moving to anchor cities like Lubbock and Amarillo, the resource-rich hubs in the region that can provide the jobs, housing, and opportunities that a small town can’t.
“Economic opportunities are more and more limited in rural parts of the state,” said Lloyd Potter, the state demographer. “As the population starts declining, you have limited capability to operate retail, same thing with health care.”
Hope for the Future
State Sen. Charles Perry, a Lubbock Republican who represents many rural areas at the Texas Legislature, said certain communities can reinvent themselves. The ones who can’t are dying off. After the state injected billions into rural Texas for water, broadband, and energy infrastructure, Perry hopes the Legislature is ready to talk about even greater investments in the neglected areas of the state.
“I’ve said forever, and it’s not a slam on my colleagues — if you would have left just a fraction of the wealth for this side of I-35, we could’ve had Six Flags in Lubbock,” he said. Perry can’t reverse history. However, he said he can advocate for a good chunk of the wealth that is made in the region to stay there. Not all rural residents want to live in a big city, or even a midsize one like Lubbock or Amarillo. They just want their homes and communities to have a better quality of life, and state leaders must ensure they can.
Personal Story: The Struggles of Small Businesses
Just off a winding road in the middle of open, isolated prairie land is King County, about 108 miles east of Lubbock. In 1900, the 944-square-mile county was home to more cows than residents — 38,000 cattle to 490 residents. Not much has changed today. The 2022 federal agriculture census found there were more than 18,000 cattle compared to 216 residents. A 2023 analysis by the San Antonio Express-News estimated King County led the state in the ratio, with 87 cattle for every one person.
It might sound barren to some. It’s exactly what others seek out. “It’s just the way of life out here, it’s the way we are,” said King County Judge Duane Daniel, who runs the second-least populated county in Texas, and third least in the U.S. “What we’ve got now is what the county needs, so I’m hoping the numbers stay in this area.”
Guthrie and its 156 residents are the heart of the county. The highway used to go through it but doesn’t now, much like the railroad that never made it to Gomez, stopping people from stumbling upon the town on road trips. There’s a restaurant, a church, and a few supply stores. The Guthrie Common School District, which Daniel calls the heartbeat of the community, has about 95 students enrolled, some from surrounding areas.
It’s also one of two big employers in the county, along with the sprawling 260,000-acre Four Sixes Ranch. “If something happens to the school, that’s probably where we lose some population,” Daniel said. “As long as the doors stay open, I think we’re good.”
Rural areas typically have just one or two major employers. One is usually a school district or a hospital, and the domino effect begins when one of those businesses closes. Hospitals have closed in rural areas at a steady pace since 2010 — more than 120 rural hospitals across the U.S. shut their doors. Texas leads the nation in rural hospital closures, with 26 during the same time period, according to the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals. “It’s hard for any community to survive if they don’t have the jobs,” said Rick Rhodes, rural engagement coordinator for Texas Rural Funders. “You’ve got to find ways to attract jobs to your community.”
Conclusion
In conclusion, rural Texas faces a unique set of challenges as it navigates the changing landscape of population growth and economic opportunities. While some communities are thriving and reinventing themselves, others are struggling to keep their doors open. By investing in infrastructure, creating job opportunities, and fostering community growth, there is hope that these rural towns can find a path to sustainable success.
As individuals, we can support rural businesses and communities by being mindful of where we spend our money and advocating for policies that benefit all Texans, regardless of location. Together, we can ensure that the diverse tapestry of Texas remains vibrant and resilient for generations to come.